For tourists

Insurance

For the legal stay in Russia all foreign nationals are required to obtain a voluntary health insurance policy on the day of arrival for the entire period of stay in Russia, regardless of the purpose of the visit.

The minimum amount of insurance for foreign nationals is RUB 100,000.

The voluntarily medical insurance policy for foreign nationals provides an opportunity to visit a healthcare institution in Russia and receive free medical attention based on the amount of insurance.

Unless foreign nationals on the territory of Russia have a voluntary medical insurance policy, or if the insurance amount is less than RUB 100,000, an administrative liability in a form of a fine of RUB 2,000-7,000 (depending on region) is imposed.

A voluntary medical insurance policy can be purchased by the employer or a foreign national themselves upon the arrival to Russia from one of the insurance companies providing this type of services.

Personal safety

· if you are mistreated or made the object of ridicule, do not respond and do not fall for provocation

· do not try to hitch a lift and do not agree to be given a lift by strangers

· do not carry with you and do not show a large sum of money to people around

· carry with you a paper map of the location where you travel

2) when using the public transport (bus, trolleybus, tram, taxi):

· try not to fall asleep

· do not leave unattended your personal belongings (luggage)

· if there is no empty seat, try to stand in the central aisle

· do not stand near the doors (robberies are most often committed there)

3) in the metro:

· hold on to the handrails when on the rolling stairs

· never stand near the edge of the platform; while waiting for a train, stand at a column or in the middle of the station until the train doors open

· approach the car doors only after the train stops and passengers leave the car

· if there are a lot of people in the car, skip 1-2 trains not to be pressed by the crowd, try and be the last one to enter and leave

4) in the crowd:

· in the case of a jostle, raise your hands with elbows forward and try to hold the elbows at chin level, never hold your hands in your pockets in critical situations

· in a moving crowd, try not to fall (it is better to drop any bulky things that you are carrying)

· it is better to follow the direction in which the crowd moves and try and walk closer to the center; it is dangerous to be near glass shop windows, walls or trees

There is a unified rescue service that can be called at 112 and that provides emergency assistance in the situations where threats to life and health exist, in case of a robbery, accidents or other incidents.

Emergencies

Emergencies arise as a result of accidents, hazardous natural phenomena, catastrophes or natural or other disasters resulting in the death of people, injuries or damage to the environment.

24-hour monitoring of emergencies in Russia is performed by the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM of Russia). The EMERCOM website shows an interactive map with information on accidents, fires, traffic incidents, floods, inclement weather conditions, earthquakes, and other emergencies in the regions of Russia.